Sharp Shooter

Hellhounds

The next morning I was awoken to the sunlight coming in through the cracked open windows of the train car. Mom and Dad were curled against one another in their bags and at first I thought they were asleep, but they weren't, they were just keeping quiet so I could.

"Morning son", Dad said, "sleep okay?"

"Back hurts a little", I said sitting up and stretching, "I got used to the bed while we were in town, but other than that, yeah, I did."

I pulled my shirt and pants on and then I went over to the edge of the car and sat down,letting my legs dangle over the side as I stared out into the landscape. I could hear the wind blowing high in the sky and see the snow covered mountains out in the distance, they took on a vaguely blue color and I could see what looked like rain falling on the peak. I'd been up a few mountains in the past year or so. We climbed one a few months ago and at the summit, I remember seeing the Earth curve out in the distance. Dad had set his old camera on a rock and taken a picture of the three of us together. He and Mom standing behind me, each had a paw on my shoulder and all of us were smiling. I closed my eyes as I leaned back on the door frame of the old red boxcar,my mind was almost like a blank piece of paper, there was never to much going on inside my head and I liked it that way. It held an escape for me, away from the world, away from life if you will.

"Hey Ren", Dad said stirring me from my thoughts, "wanna get your rifle and come hunting with me?"

"Sure", I said standing up. I pulled my boots on, grabbed my rifle and a couple of magazines that I put in my pants pockets and then grabbed my revolver and backpack. Dad grabbed his AK and his pack and then gave Mom a kiss.

"Half an hour to an hour and a half", he told her.

"Stay safe Inioth", Mom said kissing him back, "and Ren, behave for your father."

"Yes mom", I said.

"Well let's go Renny", Dad said in his pirate voice, 'were burnnin' daylight."

I smiled and Dad and I started out into the desert. I kept my rifle ready and my eyes primed for anything ranging from a camel, to a small jack rabbit, anything that held enough meat to feed all three of us was worth taking a shot at. The morning was already being baked by the heat of the sun. It reflected off the sand and into my eyes. How I hated the sand,how it stuck to my paws and clothes when I walked and how it always seemed to be hotter than the basement of the sun during the day. As Dad and I went along, I began to get the scent of what smelled like water, and yes, anyone with a nose can tell you what the water smells like. Sweet and refreshing.

"Hey Dad", I said, "I smell water."

Dad stopped and took a sniff of the air, "yeah I smell it now, coming from this way."

Dad and I followed the sent until we came to a large gully that was full of rushing water. At the bottom was a load of grass covered dirt and mossy sandstone and the stream was full of fish. I could see Dad lick his lips.

"We are having fish for dinna!", he laughed.

"We gotta get down there first", I said slinging my rifle over my back.

Dad jumped over the cliff and flared his wings to deaden his landing.

"Nice fall", I said joining him, "I give it a six."

Dad smiled and set his pack and gun down, "thirty minutes ago I was starting to get thirsty", He pulled his water bottles from his bag and started filling them, "now we have all that we need. Ren, why don't you look around for spices and herbs while I try and catch a few fish?"

I nodded and started wandering down the canyon, looking for plants that Dad had shown me in the past. The shrubbery in the canyon was rather thick, so I was pushing things aside and looking in every possible place. In the end, I had uncovered several buffalo gourd seeds, several Xander roots, pepper corns and two pinto bean pods. I put it all in a small ditty bag that I had with me and then walked back to where Dad was, finding that he had several small fish in a stack beside him. He was down on all fours with his paw over the water, inching towards another fish. In two seconds he had his hand in the water and the fish was in the pile next to him.